oatgurt with tahini, orange, and roasted almonds

Is there anything better than a slow start to a day?

For hours, I savored this morning in Belgium, witnessing the residents ambling out of their homes, into the light drizzle, off to the market or maybe a friend’s house.

I was a traveler, but not in a rush to get to any destination, just content to be unhurried as well, starting my day in one’s own time like the people of Antwerp.

I had a cozy window seat with a view to all the comings and goings both inside and out while I nibbled at my blackberry porridge.

Unhurried and ambling has a tendency to reveal the best moments when traveling. In this case, taking time to notice the unfamiliar ingredients in my porridge, and bringing that newfound knowledge home with me to add fresh ideas to my own cooking.

I eat oatmeal almost every morning topped with fairly traditional things like cinnamon, hemp, flax, banana, and coconut milk. This porridge, however, had tahini, oatgurt, orange, and roasted almonds. Tahini so far, for me, had been constrained to making hummus. I had also never heard of oatgurt. Apparently, it’s a plant based yogurt made from fermented oats. While I sat, I did some research, and at home you can make it by adding a probiotic just like you would if you were making dairy yogurt.

Every meal in another place, near or far, can be an opportunity to improve and expand your cooking, and the way you pair foods together. That’s got to be high up there as one of the most amazing things about travel, wouldn’t you agree? What ingredients or techniques have you brought home from traveling and have now experimented with in your own cooking?

recipe: from scratch cottage cheese

I made homemade cottage cheese in order to make yesterday's recipe for chocolate mint pudding. Having already mastered regular yogurt-making, expanding into cottage cheese was my next goal. I fast-tracked this plan after a disappointing trip to the store; I couldn't find a single option without added sugar or gums. I was shocked to find sugar in Aldi's store brand, and Walmart had dropped its organic selection entirely, leaving only versions packed with unnecessary additives.

It was a super simple process to make cottage cheese so I am happy I was hurried into making it!

From Scratch Cottage Cheese

Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk

3 tbsp white vinegar

Instructions:

1) Heat milk slowly in a saucepan to 190 degrees Fahrenheit (getting the milk to temp is the longest part of the process at about 20 minutes and then the rest of the process is super quick).

2) Take the pan off the heat. Add 3 tbsp white vinegar. Stir lightly and cover right away with a lid for at least 30 minutes (I will say I'm not sure how much this resting time creates more curds as the amount looked similar right after I added the vinegar to the amount 30 minutes later. I do wonder if I used a smaller pan if less heat loss would create more curds.) 

3) Line a colander with a tea towel and set it over another bowl in order to catch the whey. Spoon the cottage cheese curds into the lined colander (don't dump it in or you will crush the curds). Let sit for 30 minutes to drain. (I used my glass Pampered Chef four cup measuring bowl with spout and it was the perfect size to catch the whey from this quantity of cottage cheese).

4) Gather the ends of the tea towel together, hold the ball under running cold tap water, gently squeezing the surface while rinsing and turning the ball. You are just trying to cool the cottage cheese down so do this motion for about 3 minutes and don't crush the ball, just gently massage the outer edges of the ball.

5) Unwrap the ball from the towel and gently turn the cottage cheese into a container (preferably a lidded container so you can use it for storage). Use a spoon to pull the mass apart to create the size curds you want.

6) Chill and eat just like this. Or, add 2 tbsp heavy cream if you used skim or 2 percent milk to make 2 percent cottage cheese and 4 tbsp heavy cream to make 4 percent cottage cheese. Salt if desired.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within a week. If it's gone bad it will have a sour odor and be discolored.

Notes:

I tried making ricotta with the whey that was drained off while making the cottage cheese. However, it was unsuccessful. Likely, the proteins were already used up in the cottage cheese making or my saucepan was too large so the heat escaped too quickly when I took it off the heat and was waiting for the curds to form. However, do try yourself to use the whey for ricotta! My whey still didn't go to waste as I used it in smoothies instead of milk/water. You can also throw it in a soup if you have one planned near your cottage cheese making time.

How I tried to make ricotta - With the approximately 2 3/4 cup whey I had after making cottage cheese, I heated it over medium until it reached 160-170 degrees fahrenheit. I added 3 tbsp whole milk and continued heating until it reached 185-195 fahrenheit. I turned off the heat and added 1/2 tsp white vinegar, then covered the pot and let rest for 15 minutes. Had it developed more clumps (see below for what I did get), I would have lined a colander with a damp cheesecloth or a fine coffee filter and let drain for 15-30 minutes depending on how creamy or firm I wanted my ricotta. Then I would have seasoned with salt.

recipe: cottage cheese grasshopper chocolate pudding

This is the third recipe I made from the cookbook Cheesy by Farideh Sadeghin and I'm not sure how I feel about it. It might be a "healthier" dessert option to have in my back pocket, but there were a few drawbacks to it.

The pudding once done being blended is quite thick. The cookbook author did top her pudding with homemade whipped cream, which I omitted due to time and wanting to truly taste the pudding on its own. However, I do think the whipped cream is necessary to provide some lightness in contrast to the pudding. Sadeghin then topped the whipped cream with chocolate shavings. I substituted cocoa nibs, which would still work.

While it's a natural sugar at least, there is still quite a bit of maple syrup in each serving. And, despite this amount of sweetener, I still felt the end result needed more. 

It may be due to the cheap mint extract I used, my note regarding wanting more sweetness, or residual vinegar from the cottage cheese making process (the how-to for that is coming tomorrow), but there was an odd chemical taste to the pudding, with neither a delicious mint or chocolate flavor shining through.

I did use my Vitamix versus a food processor and it was a pain to get all the pudding out from underneath the blade. I have this same issue with my food processor so using that as directed would not have helped the issue. I may have felt better about the time involved had I made a full batch of pudding. For this small a serving I'm not sure the effort matched the success of the end result.

If I haven't talked you out of making this pudding ;) please see below for the measurements. The original as shown in the cookbook is on the left and what I made with the recipe cut in half is on the right in parentheses (who knows maybe my math was wrong and that's why the taste is off haha). I may try this again by adding a bit of milk to make it less thick or try it with yogurt (just stirring this with a spoon for easy cleanup!) Regardless, it was something fun to try.

 

Chocolate Grasshopper Pudding

Ingredients:

1 lb cottage cheese (1 cup cottage cheese)

1/4 cup maple syrup (1/8 cup)

3 tbsp cocoa powder (1 1/2 tbsp)

1/4 tsp mint extract (1/8 tsp)

1/8 tsp salt (a very small pinch)

Instructions:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the ingredients and process until very smooth. Divide among four 6 ounce ramekins, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days.

recipe: homemade yogurt by re-culturing

 It really is this EASY to make yogurt!

1. Add 1 cup powdered whole milk and 3 1/2 cups water to a pan (or just use 3 1/2 cups already liquid milk).

2. Increase temp to 180-195 degrees F on medium low. Keep it here for 10-20 min checking periodically with a thermometer.

3. Remove from heat and let cool to 110-115 degrees F.

4. To the 110-115 F milk, add a few spoonfuls from a store bought container of plain yogurt (or form your prior batch of yogurt) and whisk or stir. It's okay if there are some clumps.

5. Pour into 2 pint jars and place in oven with the light on for 6+ hours.

Master Your Temperatures

Do your own research to ensure you are hitting the correct temperatures but these are the reliable basics I use to make fresh yogurt every 7-10 days. 

The best part? My cultures have been going active and strong now for almost a year now! In fact, the culture seems to be getting stronger over time. It now takes only four hours for my yogurt to fully solidify, compared to the six hours it took when I first started. Some yogurt makers on Reddit state that their culture gets weaker over time, but I have not found that to be the case at all.

Accurate Temperature Control

Maintaining the correct temperatures is the absolute key factor in making yogurt successfully:

- The heat stage (180-195 degrees F) - Heating your milk to this range kills competing bacteria so your yogurt culture can thrive. It also unravels the whey proteins so they can bond with the milk's casein, giving you a thick, smooth texture.

- The cool stage (110-115 degrees F) - You must ensure you do not add your starter culture to the milk until it has cooled below 115 degrees. Anything hotter will kill the beneficial bacteria. However, also ensure you do not let it cool below 110 before adding the yogurt and getting it into the warm oven as it needs to stay warm in order to turn into yogurt.

Customizing Your Texture and Batch Size

If you want prefer greek yogurt, you can easily strain the final product through cheesecloth to remove the liquid whey. However, I find this standard recipe is already perfectly thick, creamy and satisfying without any extra work.

This recipe yields two pint jars, which is the perfect amount for me as one person. It provides just enough to enjoy throughout the week without forcing you to eat yogurt every single day to finish it.

Keeping Your Culture Alive

Feel free to adjust the amount of milk to scale the batch size to your personal needs. Just remember the holden rule of sustainability: make your next batch within 7-10 days. This timeline allows you to use a small scoop of your current batch to safely innoculate the next one. Waiting longer than 10 days risks spoiling your yogurt and permanently weakening your live culture. 

nutty maple cinnamon granola

Even when other granola recipes cross my path, they rarely entice me to stray from my go-to granola. This is because it has the ideal balance of crunch (provided by the larger chopped walnuts compared to the softer and smaller crunch from chia seeds and hemp hearts), sweetness (just a hint of maple syrup), and a dash of spice (cinnamon). Mixing it up in five minutes before my shower, by the time I am out it is right on time to give the granola its first mix, and by the time my coffee is done, the granola is finished baking and ready to top my yogurt. 

Nutty Maple Cinnamon Granola

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Equipment: large mixing bowl, large spatula/spoon, measuring cups and spoons, baking sheet (either half sheet or full sheet will work just fine)

Ingredients:

Dry - 

4 cups preferred oats (Old fashioned, also called rolled oats, provide a slightly crunchier texture and will possibly clump better. However, I use quick oats because I like the softer texture in the final granola and no clumps).

1 cup chopped walnuts (subbing pecans is also wonderful)

1 cup pumpkin seeds (with or without salt, either works)

1/2 cup hemp hearts

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup of something else (I switch this up depending on what I have on hand - sunflower seeds, wheat germ, coconut flakes)

1 tsp ground cinnamon (Don't throw out the cinnamon you have in your cupboard, however, when you replenish your cinnamon you want to be using ceylon cinnamon as it has the lowest coumarin content versus cassia and saigon. This article provides a quick summary of how you can quickly exceed the daily limit of cassia/saigon Cinnamon, potentially causing damage to your liver.)

Wet -

1/3 cup oil (If I feel like taking the time, I melt coconut oil. But, typically I just use grapeseed oil that is already in a "state" I can dump into the granola mix. If you do use coconut oil, mix your ingredients and get it in the oven quickly so it doesn't start hardening again.)

1/2 cup maple syrup (You can sub honey, however, anytime you heat honey over approximately 95 degrees, it significantly degrades beneficial enzymes, antioxidants, and antibacterial compounds, reducing its nutritional and potential health benefits. So, I tend to use honey for room temp, or at least not boiling uses, and stick to maple syrup for everything else.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1) Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. 

2) Add wet ingredients to the bowl, no need to mix these in a separate bowl first.

3) Dump onto your baking sheet and loosely smooth the granola to cover the entire pan.

4) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, turning with the same spatula or spoon you used for mixing, about halfway through. You want the granola medium brown and just slightly crispy. 

Notes:

Save some trees and don't use parchment paper. I have never had this stick to the pan even a little. 

If you want to add fruit, add it to the pan right when you take the granola out of the oven so it gently toasts it without burning. Or, just add it right before you eat the granola in cereal or on top of yogurt. This way it is not adding moisture into the granola during storage.

 

Don't forget to pin this post if you remember so you remember to try this granola recipe. It will surely be your "go-to" granola recipe as well!

spiced currant nut muffins

Whipped up these spiced currant nut muffins as a thank you to my neighbors for helping me get my car battery charged after it died. They said these were delicious and had the perfect amount of sweetness. I agree! They are great any time of year. However, with hints of pumpkin and cinnamon, they are particularly perfect for Fall. But, I doubt I'll be able to wait until then to make them again!

Spiced Currant Nut Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Equipment: two mixing bowls, whisk, spatula, large ice cream scoop, standard muffin tin

Ingredients:

Dry - 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup brown sugar 

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon 

Wet - 

2 eggs (beaten)

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup applesauce

2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix-Ins (both optional) - 

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup currants (or other dried fruit you have on hand)

Instructions:

1) Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl and wet ingredients in a separate slightly larger bowl.

2) Add dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and mix well.

3) Add in walnuts and dried fruit.

4) Use large ice cream scoop to drop batter into 12 regular muffin tins lined with baking papers. 

5) Top with a sprinkle of rolled oats.

6) Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 20 minutes, checking for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of a muffin and ensuring it comes out clean. They may need another two minutes or so more, depending on your oven.

Note: These muffins rise enough for my preference. However, if you want them loftier, you can try adding the whole wheat flour into the wet ingredients to sit for 10 minutes or so absorbing some of the liquid while you work on getting the rest of the recipe prepped.

Don't forget to pin this post if you want to remember the recipe for the next time you need a quick muffin recipe to offer as a gift of gratitude when someone helps you like my neighbors did for me.

tahini yogurt chicken salad lettuce wraps

This is hands down the best chicken salad I've ever had.

The turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and dijon are such a wonderful, unique flavor combo. And, with the yogurt and tahini base, I feel a little more healthy than if I was eating chicken slathered in mayo. It takes a it longer than expected to chop and combine all the different components. But, the varying textures and ratio of flavor are well worth the effort!

 

I highly recommend wrapping the chicken salad in the leaves of buttercrunch lettuce. It imparts such a satisfying crunch (quite literally) it's buttercrunch lettuce ;) If you wanted to get more greens in your diet, you could easily cut back the amount of chicken salad on each lettuce leaf by about 1/4 of what I have shown in the photos and still have more than enough balance of chicken salad to lettuce.

You also could add a third can of chicken (using the same amount of dressing) and the chicken would have more than enough seasoning.

Tahini Yogurt Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Equipment: bowl, measuring spoons, measuring cups, medium spatula

Ingredients:

2 cans chicken in water (5 oz each)

1/2 cup whole milk yogurt

1 tbsp tahini

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup dried currants (or whatever dried berries you have on hand)

1/3 cup diced green onion

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup chopped pecans (sub chopped walnuts, if desired)

1 head buttercrunch lettuce

Instructions:

1) In a bowl, mix together yogurt, tahini, mustard, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and salt.

2) Fold in the remaining ingredients.

3) Dollop onto individual lettuce leaves for serving.

4) Enjoy!

 

This recipe, as written and the amount of chicken salad I have on each lettuce cup in the photos, is enough for two lunches for just me if it is all I am eating (no sides, other than maybe an orange). When I have a side (still using the amount of chicken salad shown on each lettuce leaf), this easily makes food savings. However, if you put less chicken salad on each lettuce cup and/or added another can of chicken, this could stretch much further - if you're wanting to make appetizers, for example.

I used one head of buttercrunch lettuce to provide enough leaves for the amount of chicken salad shown on each in the photos. So, buy an additional head (or heads) of lettuce as needed if you plan on placing less chicken salad on each leaf.

Side note - did you know you can plant the root of your buttercrunch lettuce in dirt and it will regrow a few times into a new head of lettuce?? Yes, even the lettuce you buy in a package from the store. It still grows again and again! Quite amazing. See the new green growth poking out in just the weeks time since I used up this lettuce and planted it?

Don't forget to pin this post if you want to remember the recipe for the next time you need a simple, yet delicious, meal!

CRUDITE, CHEESE, AND CHARCUTERIE APPETIZER PLATTERS

For dinner, I often grab hummus, some veggies, olives, nuts, and some cheese (of course!) to make a quick and delish meal of random items in my fridge and pantry. It's such an easy way to sit down and eat a healthy meal after a long day with minimal prep. I've been to a number of events where a platter, or even a spread of them, were laid out in such a beautiful way. They most likely are not as easy as they appear, taking some artful skill to achieve balance and interest. So, I gathered some inspiration to model after. And, in turn, I am certainly inspired to add some different types and flavors of items to my repertoire! I was curious to know what the difference is between the different boards I was seeing. Turns out... 

CHARCUTERIE REFERS TO THE MEAT PORTION OF THE PLATTER, CRUDITES ARE THE CHOPPED VEGETABLES. AND, OF COURSE, A CHEESE PLATTER IS JUST THAT - MADE UP OF CHEESE. OF COURSE YOU COULD HAVE A MIX OF ALL OF THESE AS WELL - IN ADDITION TO JAMS, FRUITS, NUTS, ETC TO ADD COLOR, TEXTURE, AND FLAVOR!

Below are some of my favorites. The bright boards would be perfect for Summer and I love the assortments with deep hues and richer flavors for Fall! I also included a platter, which is technically a nicoise salad. This originated in France and is traditionally made with tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives, anchovies or tuna, and dressed with olive oil. Additionally, there were some boards comprised of items that could be layered together to make fajitas or the like. The sky seems to be the limit! 

via Crowded Kitchen



via Always Order Dessert



via Anett Velsberg

via Yummy Yummy Kitchen 

via Freut Cake

via Wholefully

via The Little Epicurean

via The Every Girl

via The Modern Proper

via The Every Girl

via What's Gaby Cooking

via Cupcakes and Cashmere

via Taste Spotting

via Saveur

via Dennis the Prescott

via Dennis the Prescott

via The Pioneer Woman

via Dennis the Prescott

via Half Baked Harvest

via Half Baked Harvest

via Foxes Love Lemons

via Half Baked Harvest

via Honest Cooking